Food – The Studio

I am one of the ‘lucky’ ones chosen to be seated at a gargantuan table fully laid out with plates and glasses and cutlery, with about 30 other guests, the rest of the ‘audience’ are seated around us on three sides. Geoff Sobelle dressed as a fancy waiter struts around us, in charge of proceedings. He pretends to light a candle and pulls it on a cloth into the middle of the table. Of course, it is only a little pretend candle; no one is allowed to use a naked light in theatre land these days. In fact, as he pulls it, it falls over, so we can all see that it is a little battery powered prop, there is a ripple of laughter. Sobelle shrugs with a grin.

Any so it begins. As the lights drop lower and lower and we are asked to close our eyes and are taken on a journey with Sobelle’s sonorous voice. All I know is that when I open my eyes the candle in the middle of the table really is lit and flickering away, plain as day. It’s making me wonder where this is going.

Looking back and thinking about this later, there are a few possibilities for the various different strange things that happened over the course of the evening. Anyway, it may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I felt that I connected with it strongly. Perhaps you have to be at the table to get that.

Part misdirection, part hypnosis? I don’t really want to give too much away, but fair to say this is a very unusual immersive show which is partly about food and man’s gluttony, but about many other things as well.….mysterious.

Running time – 1hr 30mins

Reviewer: Greg Holstead

Reviewed: 10th August 2023

North West End UK Rating: